The Registrar of Indigenous Corporations, Anthony Beven, has today announced the end of the special administration of the Many Rivers Regional Housing Management Services Aboriginal Corporation.
The corporation manages about 300 rental properties on behalf of the NSW Aboriginal Housing Office (AHO) and other housing organisations in northern New South Wales.
The corporation was placed under special administration by the Registrar on
13 August 2012 after an examination of the corporation’s books revealed poor corporate governance and financial management, including excessive payments to the directors at the time.
Significant improvements and changes were made during the special administration. The corporation now has a stronger corporate governance framework, which includes tighter eligibility requirements for the appointment of directors, increased financial accountability and reporting requirements and a requirement that the corporation has independent directors. A new staffing structure was also implemented and vacant positions filled. All of the properties managed by the corporation were inspected and all necessary repairs were completed to comply with occupational health and safety standards.
‘The corporation is now set to resume the important task of providing tenancy services to the Aboriginal community on the mid-north coast. I would like to acknowledge and thank the AHO for its input and assistance during the special administration,’ Mr Beven said.
The newly appointed directors of the corporation are Mr Dean Evers (chair), Mr Guy Jones, Mr Daniel Rose and Ms Helen Duroux. They will be joined by an independent non-member director, Mr John Daley, who is a public accountant in Kempsey.
‘Many Rivers was close to collapse, but the intervention of the special administrator and the AHO has now turned around the fortunes of this important corporation,’ Mr Beven said. ‘The corporation now has the structures in place to enable it to focus on what it was set up to do―provide much needed social housing.’
Media contact
Christa de Jager (02) 6146 4737
ORIC MR1213-26
1 February 2013